Hydroxychloroquine had been approved for use in seriously ill patients, but the latest large-scale research shows it could do more harm than good.

Paris — France has banned the use of the controversial anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat people with COVID-19, the diseased caused by the new coronavirus. The move follows the publication of initial findings from a large-scale study that found the drug offered no benefit to patients, and could in fact be harmful.

The Lancet medical journal reported on May 22 that the observational study on nearly 100,000 patients from multiple countries found a higher mortality rate and an increased frequency of irregular heartbeats in patients who were given hydroxychloroquine.

There will be a summer tourism season in France, the government has insisted.

However, with social distancing and limited overseas travel, there will be a big drop in trade. Prime Minister Edouard Phi­lippe has said they are facing “probably the worst test of modern times, while at the same time tourism is a jewel in the crown of the French economy”. Saving the industry is a national priority, he said.

Tourism professionals told Connexion that many are expecting at least a 50% reduction in annual turnover. Tourism Minister Jean-Bap­tiste Lemoyne has indicated that French residents will mostly holiday in France, though President Macron hinted at possible Europe-wide travel. At a press conference with Angela Merkel, the president said a co-ordinated plan should be ready by mid-June: “We will have a tourist season in Europe alongside the virus.” [ . . . ]

Tests conducted with trained German Shepherds at a veterinary school in Maisons-Alfort (Val-de-Marne) show a 95% success rate in sniffing out the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

Weeks of trails have produced positive results at veterinary school and research centre l’École Nationale Vétérinaire in Maisons-Alfort, where researchers say their German Shepherds have been trained to detect coronavirus.

During the trial, the dogs had to identify the presence of the virus by smelling sweat samples taken from subjects who were infected with Covid-19.

The school partnered with hospital Beaujon de Clichy to collect sweat samples from both infected and non-infected subjects. The sweat samples were then used to soak pieces of cotton wool which were placed inside metal cones.

The dogs then used their sense of smell to identify whether the sweat sample inside the cone was infected or not.